Section 2
SEC. 2. Section 3(i) of the Charter of the National Power Corporation, Republic Act Numbered Sixty-Three Hundred Ninety-Five, is hereby amended to read as follows: "(i) To construct works across, or otherwise, any stream, watercourse, canal, ditch, flume, street, avenue, highway or railway of private and public ownership, as the location of said works may require: Provided, That said works be constructed in such a manner as not to endanger life or property: And provided, further, That the stream, watercourse, canal, ditch, flume, street, avenue, highway or railway so crossed or intersected be restored as near as possible to their former state, or in a manner not to impair unnecessarily their usefulness. Every person or entity whose right of way or properly is lawfully crossed or intersected by said works shall not obstruct any such crossings or intersection and shall grant the Corporation or its representative, the proper authority for the execution of such work. The Corporation is hereby given the right of way to locate, construct, and maintain such works over and throughout the lands owned by the Republic of the Philippines or any of its branches and political subdivisions. The Corporation or its representative may also enter upon private property in the lawful performance or prosecution of its business or purposes, including the construction of the transmission lines thereon: Provided, That the owner of such private property shall be compensated as follows: "(a) In case only an easement of right of way for a transmission line is acquired, then only a nominal easement fee shall be paid which shall be in an amount equivalent to not more that ten per cent of the value of the land or portion thereof required for the right of way of the line, based on the tax declaration that is valid and effective at the time of the filing of the complaint for eminent domain or actual entry into the property by the Corporation, whichever is earlier; "(b) In case the land shall be acquired by purchase, the fair market value thereof, which shall he the value of the land based on the tax declaration that is valid and effective at the time of the filing of the complaint for eminent domain, or the taking of said land by the Corporation, whichever is earlier: and "(c) In addition, the owner shall be compensated for the improvements, such as houses, buildings, structures and/or agricultural crops and the like, actually damaged during the construction, operation, and maintenance of such works on the land, in amounts based on the value of such improvements appearing on the tax declaration that is valid and effective and/or the prevailing valuation of such agricultural crops and the like made by the appropriate appraisal body authorized by law at the time of filing of the complaint for eminent domain or taking of said improvements by the Corporation, whichever is earlier: Provided, further. That any action for compensation and/or damages, under (a), (b), and (c) above, is filed within five years after the rights of way, transmission lines, substations, plants or other facilities shall have been established: Provided, finally, That after the said period no suit shall be brought to question the said rights of way, transmission lines, substations, plants or other facilities nor the amounts of compensation and/or damages involved." SEC. 3. Section 3, paragraphs (1), (m) and (o) of the Charter of the National Power Corporation, Republic Act Numbered Sixty-Three Hundred Ninety-Five, is hereby amended to read as follows: "(l) To exercise such powers and do such things as may be reasonably necessary to carry out the business and purposes for which it was organized, or which, from time to time, may be declared by the Board to be necessary, useful, incidental or auxiliary to accomplish the said purpose, including the establishment of subsidiaries; "(m) To cooperate with, and to coordinate its operations with those of the Power Development Council, the National Electrification Administration and public service entities; x x x "(o) In the prosecution and maintenance of its projects and plants, the Corporation shall adopt measures to prevent environmental pollution and enhance the conservation, development and maximum utilization of natural resources, including the improvements and beautification of its reservoirs and other areas to promote tourism and related purposes, and to provide for the necessary corporate funds therefor."